Outdoors news briefs

LANDER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is warning people to stay away from areas where grizzly bears are being captured for studies.

The department says the studies are part of an effort to monitor grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone area through this fall.

Officials say all areas where trapping is being conducted will have warning signs.

The department says the monitoring is needed to keep track of the bears and study their health and habits to protect them.

Shed horn, antler gathering resumes west of divide

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) — Horn and antler collectors can return to some state land west of the Continental Divide after a four-month prohibition to avoid disturbing wildlife.

The Rock Springs Rocket Miner reports Wyoming Game and Fish allowed the gathering of shed horns and antlers to resume Thursday.

Gathering was banned from Jan. 1 to April 30 on state land and most other public land west of the divide to avoid stressing wildlife during winter months when they are most vulnerable.

The gathering season will close Dec. 31.

Fish and Wildlife honors Corps of Engineers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the Army Corps of Engineers is helping it bring back three endangered species.

Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe says water and sediment that once flowed down the Mississippi River are now creating habitat for the interior least tern, pallid sturgeon and fat pocketbook mussel.

Biologists say there are more of all three animals, and the interior least tern population has risen from 6,000 to 10,000 birds. The agency says a recent five-year review recommended taking the bird off the endangered species list.

It says that by improving habitats in the lower Mississippi River Basin, the changes also will provide better fishing, bird watching and boating, and will boost populations of species such as bass, catfish and crappie.

Wyoming has fewer fish to restock lakes, rivers

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Anglers might have worse results on some Wyoming lakes and rivers this year because the state Game and Fish Department has fewer fish to stock.

The Casper Star-Tribune reported the department cut by 25 percent the number of fish it has to stock more than 100 waters The cutbacks came after the Legislature rejected a 2013 fishing license fee increase.

Al Conder, Casper-area fisheries supervisor for the department, says managers are looking for ways to soften the impact, but he isn’t sure what the solution would be.

Officials say waters that won’t be restocked include Goldeneye Reservoir, the Little Popo Agie (poh-POH’ zhuh) River, the Sweetwater River near the Shoshone National Forest and Jenson and Carr reservoirs.